


Apple and cinnamon

by ca_te



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Baker!Kurt, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-08
Updated: 2013-09-08
Packaged: 2017-12-26 00:18:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/959325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ca_te/pseuds/ca_te
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They meet over apple and cinnamon muffins on a snowy morning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apple and cinnamon

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been lying around for a while and I thought it would end up unfinished, instead here it is. I want to dedicate it to [Vikki](http://agent-girlsname.tumblr.com/), not only because it deals with baking and patisserie (she is amazing at those, btw! Those cupcakes in the pic were made by her - and they are featured in the story xD), but also because she is an amazing friend! <3

It was snowing the day he met Blaine; Kurt was rearranging the freshly baked muffins in a neat pyramid when the door opened.

“Hey! The sign says closed; we open at nine.”

 “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s…I was just…”

Kurt sighed and lifted his gaze from the tray to look at the intruder. A pair of chocolate-brown eyes looked back at him, wide under dark curls wet because of the snow. The man fumbled with his gloves, cheeks red, Kurt couldn’t say if it was for the cold or for the embarrassment.

“I…I’ll go then…”

But there was something about the slump of his shoulders, about the warmth of those caramel eyes of his that touched something long asleep inside of Kurt and he simply couldn’t let the man go back in the snow.

“I guess I can make an exception.”

The man frowned before understanding dawned on his admittedly handsome face.

“You’re kind, but I wouldn’t want to impose or…”

Kurt shook his head and motioned for the man to enter.

“Don’t worry, but please come in and close that door before the madeleines freeze off.”

Kurt watched as the guy smiled – a _dorable_ was the best word to describe the sight – and carefully closed the door behind him.

“So, what would you like on such a fine morning, then?”

The man ducked his head, smile still in place, and focused his attention on the pastries Kurt had been rearranging.  

Baking had always been Kurt’s refuge when he was a kid, when the taunting at school became too much and he wanted to feel closer to a mother who couldn’t be there. The first receipt he tried was the apple pie’s one. It was his dad’s favorite and his mom had used to bake it every Sunday. To hear Burt saying that it tasted just like hers had been the biggest compliment Kurt had ever received.

“I’ll take one of those, please.”

The man pointed his fingers to the pile of pastries arranged in the far corner, surrounded by orange origami flowers.

“The apple and cinnamon muffins?”

“Yes. My grandmother used to make them, you know?”

Kurt was used to being polite with customers, but he never let himself go, always careful to keep a barrier between his life and theirs. There was a soft glint in the man’s eyes, though, which called to Kurt. It was way too early to open the shop, outside snow was falling and Kurt had woken up in a melancholic mood, maybe it was good to indulge a bit.

“Did she put also a bit of vanilla in them?”, he asked as he took one muffin and put it on a plate.

“She did. How did you know that?”

Kurt smiled, sliding the plate over to where the man was standing, still in his coat, striped scarf wrapped around his neck.

“I have a sixth sense when it comes to baking, I guess?”

“I love that.”

Kurt felt his cheeks heat up and hastened to turn around. “Do you want a coffee too? We usually don’t serve it, but there’s a machine in the back for employees.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to trouble you even more than I already had.”

“You aren’t troubling me, really.”

As he switched the coffee machine to life, Kurt found himself thinking that men like the one waiting in the shop were rare to come by. His politeness made him stand out and made him sound like a knight in shiny armor might have.

When the coffee was ready, Kurt made his way to the front of the shop and found that the man had finally shed his coat and was leaning against the counter, taking in the watercolor paintings hung on the wall – those had been Brittany’s idea, and a lovely one at that.

“Here you are”, Kurt handed over the coffee and tried not to dwell too much on the way his heart fluttered as the man smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners.

“You are too kind.”

Kurt shrugged, his cheeks heating up once more.

“You don’t know me well enough to say that.”

The man smiled and took a sip of coffee.

“We can fix that. I am Blaine.”

Kurt stared at the hand Blaine was offering over the counter. Shaking it would mean taking one more step away from being professional, but Blaine’s smile was so sincere and his eyes so kind. They shook hands over a pile of freshly-baked pain-au-chocolat and Blaine’s smile lighted up the room.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kurt.”

*

Blaine came every morning at the same time, when the shop was still closed and they had time to chat over mugs of espresso and the pastry of the day – raspberries tarts, coffee éclairs, croissants. For each of them Kurt had a story to tell and Blaine listened, attentive and kind. Kurt discovered soon enough that they had had very different childhoods – where Kurt had his dad’s support and love, Blaine had a cold and distant father and a kind but absent mother. He found out soon enough that Blaine too was gay – _“Why the sad face?”, “Date gone completely wrong.”, “Did she run on you?”, “He.”, “Oh, I can relate to that.”_ – and that the both of them had experienced on their skin how cruel people could be.

Talking to Blaine was easy and Kurt found himself waking up in the mornings with a smile on his face despite the usually ungodly hour, thanks to the thought that he could get to spent some time with Blaine. He hadn’t been expecting to make a new friend. He was 24 years-old and had moved to the big city as soon as he had been out of high school, to work and build a life for himself in the city of his dreams. Over the years he had met many people, but his true friends had remained few, mainly those with whom he had grown up to, like Rachel and Mercedes. And then Blaine had entered the shop on a snowy morning.

*

It took a while for Kurt to feel brave enough to leave the safety of the shop and hang out with Blaine somewhere else. It was silly, he knew that, but a part of him was afraid that somehow the magic could be broken if they were to set foot in the outside world. it was Blaine who brought up the subject on an early spring morning, between a bite of blueberry muffin and a sip of coffee, his cheeks dusted a pretty pink.

“Would you…I was thinking...maybe we could go for a walk on Sunday?”

Kurt had to refrain himself from grinning too widely, the perspective thrilling, despite the fluttering of his nerves.

“I…yes. I’d love to.”

Being the bakery closed on Sunday, Kurt took his time to dress up and coif his hair - the appreciative smile Blaine gifted him with was the best reward. Blaine even took notice of the brooch Kurt had chosen, a small silver bird, wings spread in flight. They were standing close to each other on the underground train, headed towards Central Park, when Blaine started humming. Kurt immediately recognized the melody and found himself singing softly, even though it had been years since he last sang in front of someone who wasn’t Rachel or his dad.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night…”

Blaine’s eyes shone as he nodded and shifted closer, before joining in. “Take these broken wings and learn to fly.”

Kurt’s heart thrummed and he gripped the train pole a bit tighter.

“That’s…one of my favorite songs.”

Blaine looked up at him from under long lashes. Kurt wondered how it could be possible for someone to be so attractive and so adorable at the same time.

“Mine too.”

*

**I dreamed of that Thai place we went the other night. There were elephants involved.**

_Your subconscious must be a scary place._

**You were there too :)**

Kurt grinned at the ceiling, a familiar fluttering feeling inside his ribcage.

_Is that a good thing?_

He knew he was flirting and maybe that wasn’t the wisest thing to do, but during the past months he and Blaine had grown closer – he wouldn’t hesitate to call Blaine one of his best friends – and Kurt couldn’t deny how attracted to Blaine he was. There hadn’t been many relationships in his life, none that had truly mattered in the way he had used to dream when he was a kid. None of the guys he had dated had been like Blaine, though. None had his kindness and his sweetness; none had the passion that Blaine seemed  radiate when it came to music or to his studies – Kurt was absolutely sure Blaine would become an amazing teacher one day.

**It definitely is a good thing! (also, you brought the elephants cupcakes)**

Kurt chuckled out loud, feeling warm from head to toe.

_Is that a way to tell me you want cupcakes?_

**Maybe? We could bake them together! :D**

Kurt imagined Blaine standing in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up and cheeks stained with flour. He had to swallow down the surge of longing that washed through him.

_We could do that._

**Tomorrow at your place?**

_Bring an apron ;)_

*

“Kurt….”

“It won’t bite you, Blaine.”

“How can you be so sure? It just clings to my fingers.”

Kurt laughed at Blaine’s pouty expression.

“It just means you have to keep mixing.”

Blaine eyed the dough suspiciously, but did as Kurt had told. He looked really good, donning a dark red apron, a concentrated look on his handsome face. Kurt forced himself to focus on the sugar flowers he was making. They worked together in silence, music pouring from the old radio on the fridge.

“Is this alright?”

Kurt lifted his gaze and moved to Blaine’s side. Once again he was taken aback by how good Blaine smelled, sandal wood and a hint of mint underneath it. He tested the dough and smiled appreciatively at Blaine.

“This is perfect. You did well.”

Blaine beamed like a kid on Christmas’ morning. “I am not an hopeless case, then.”

“You definitely aren’t.”

Kurt was used to working on his own, after all he had started baking to seek a refuge, a place where nothing could touch him. Over the years he had worked side by side with other people, but never in his own kitchen and never with a person who was close to him on so many levels. With Blaine smiling at him and talking about this and that, everything felt brighter to Kurt. Also, decorating cupcakes with Blaine was _fun_. When Blaine presented him a cupcake with a snitch on it, Kurt laughed out loud and wondered what he did to get so lucky and have someone as special as Blaine in his life.

“I should have figured you liked Harry Potter.”

“I’ll let you know I am an Hufflepuff at heart.”

Kurt shook his head and went back to fixing a violet flower.

“Ravenclaws are the best.”

He yelped when Blaine threw a handful of flour right at him.

“Blaine Devon Anderson, what do you think you are doing?”

Blaine’s laugh echoed rich and clear against the kitchen’s cabinets and Kurt’s heart swelled at the sound.

“Alright, if it is war that you want…”

From then on things degenerated quickly, until they both were covered in flour – Kurt was insanely grateful he had decided to wear house clothes – and struggling to breathe through bouts of laughter. Somehow Blaine’s hands had found their way to Kurt’s shoulders, clinging as Blaine chuckled.  Kurt felt lightheaded, he had never done something like that before, so recklessly carefree, just for the sake of  doing it.

Blaine looked up at him, eyes bright with mirth and something Kurt couldn’t pinpoint, his cheeks turning redder under the fine sheen of flour.

“Kurt…”

His fingers squeezed Kurt’s shoulders and Kurt gasped, the feeling seeping through his skin and down to the core of his bones.

“M-May I?”

Kurt didn’t need to ask what Blaine meant. He simply nodded. “Yes, yes you may.”

Blaine’s lips tasted of the vanilla and strawberry they had used for the cupcakes and Kurt’s heart thundered against his ribcage, filled with joy and wonder so big he felt like floating in them. Once they broke apart, Blaine kept them close, the tips of their noses brushing.

“Cupcakes are definitely my favorite.”

Kurt fought to find the words, his voice coming out slightly breathless.

“That I noticed.”

Blaine nodded before pressing a quick peck to the corner of Kurt’s mouth.

“But no cupcake can compare to you.”

He waggled his eyebrows and grinned.

“You are too adorable for your own good.”

“Then kiss me some more?”

Kurt chuckled and complied, the sweet scent of cupcakes all around them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave me prompts [here](http://bluecloudsupabove.tumblr.com/ask)


End file.
